Filavac is licensed for use in rabbits within the UK and provides 12 month's duration of immunity, allowing it to fit into annual vaccination and healthcare plans.
Filavac can be administered from 10 weeks of age with a seven-day onset of immunity. It is presented in 5 x 0.5ml single dose packs.
Nicki Glen, marketing project manager for Filavac at Ceva Animal Health said: "Rabbits are increasingly popular as household pets and should therefore become an important focus for veterinary practices.
"We are delighted to have taken on the exclusive distribution of Filavac to provide veterinary practices with a competitively-priced and convenient vaccination for both RHDV 1 and 2."
For further information, contact your local Ceva Animal Health territory.
Amy Bergs MRCVS, owner of The Cat Doctor in Surrey and co-founder of the new British Mobile Veterinary Association, has won a week's worth of free advertising for her practice on national TV.
The competition was run by the mobile payments company iZettle, which invited entrants to submit a 15 minute video about their business.
Amy's husband and business partner Robert put the video entry together. It was one of seven winners picked out of hundreds that iZettle said it received.
The resulting advert (below) is being shown on a number of TV channels, including Sky News, Sky Sports and Comedy Central, from today.
Amy said: "We are so excited to have won the competition. We love what we do and would like to help more cats, it’s such an amazing opportunity to share what we can offer on national television!"
watch?v=Vi8SCWcPJoo
Vets Now Referrals has launched a new specialist veterinary referral service to serve Aberdeen and the North.
Richard Coe MA VetMB CertSAS DipECVS MRCVS (pictured right) and Professor Stuart Carmichael BVMS MVM DSAO MRCVS will attend Ardene House Veterinary Hospital in Aberdeen on a monthly rotational basis to offer specialist care to pets from the area. Richard is a European Specialist in Small Animal Surgery and Professor Carmichael is an internationally recognised expert in veterinary orthopaedics.
By bringing these two specialist surgeons to Aberdeen, it will mean that vets can refer their clients to have their initial consultations and diagnoses locally by either Richard or Stuart, reducing the need for a lengthy journey to Vets Now Referrals in Glasgow where they are usually based. Vets Now says that where possible, treatment plans will be carried out in Aberdeen, however complex treatments may require the facilities and high tech equipment at its Glasgow Hospital.
Any vet wishing to make an enquiry about referring to Richard or Stuart should call 01224 478 041. Further information about the service can also be found on www.vetsnowreferrals.com/aberdeen.
Tricia Colville, Hospital Manager of Vets Now Referrals, Glasgow, said: "We are delighted to now be able to offer our specialist service for vets in the North of Scotland to utilise for their clients. The Vets Now Referrals Hospital in Glasgow has been so successful since it opened over a year ago, benefiting hundreds of pets and their owners. Bringing the service to Aberdeen and the surrounding region will provide vets with local access to Richard Coe and Professor Stuart Carmichael who are both renowned in their fields and for their clients this provides a convenient option which will greatly reduce time-consuming, distressing and costly journeys for them."
Zoetis has launched a new training programme for veterinary practices which explores every aspect of the 'client journey' - from 'pre-owner' to 'Lost' - and explains how to deliver an outstanding client experience.
The Client Experience Development Programme is divided into nine training modules which vary in length from one to five and a half hours. The whole programme can be completed in two days under the guidance of a Zoetis business consultant.
The programme breaks down each element of the client journey, from attracting new pet owners into the practice and making the right impact on new customers, to keeping long-term customers loyal.
Nick Steele, national consulting manager at Zoetis, said: "We believe that calling a practice's pet owners clients or customers is a misnomer. They are consumers because they not only purchase a practice's products and services but they also experience them and the consumer's interpretation of their experience can really affect the brand. What's more, the reality of today's information-rich environment is that consumers can experience a practice without the practice even knowing about it.
"Google have coined the term 'Zero moment of truth', which alludes to all the different points of contact a consumer can have with a product or service before physically experiencing it. The average shopper uses 10.7 different sources of information before making a decision on what product or service to use.¹ This means they may have disregarded a practice before the practice knew the consumer even existed."
The concept of the client experience is introduced with some interesting statistics which emphasise its importance. For instance, a typical business hears from only 4% of its dissatisfied customers, 96% just go away and 91% will never come back². What's more, a dissatisfied customer will tell 9-15 people about it and approximately 13% will tell more than 20 people about their problem.³
Drawing on concepts like 'The Fred Factor', which focuses on four key principles of customer care, the training programme explains how every employee can make the difference from the moment clients arrive.
Nick added: "Consumers are all powerful to veterinary practices so it is essential that the client experience is an exceptional one. Our business consultants have been trained to deliver the Client Development Programme to all types of veterinary practice to ensure that they attract as many clients to the practice as possible and keep those clients happy once they are there."
For more information about Business Consulting from Zoetis telephone 0845 519 4977 or contact your account manager.
References
This is the second time Hayley has picked up a gong in recognition of her contribution to the veterinary profession: in 2014, she earned the RCVS Golden Jubilee Award for her teaching, clinical and international outreach work.
The RCVS has added its congratulations. Liz Cox, Chair of Veterinary Nurses Council, said: "It is wonderful to see Hayley once again so publicly honoured for her dedication to educating student veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses at the University of Edinburgh and to helping animals in the UK and internationally both through her day job and her voluntary work.
"This honour truly highlights the importance of the work carried out by veterinary nurses in caring for animals and providing education on animal health and welfare issues and I hope it inspires other veterinary nurses to take pride in their work and their achievements."
Vetoquinol UK Ltd has launched a new flea and tick treatment for cats and dogs.
Flevox is a spot-on solution containing fipronil and comes in unique pack sizes of either single pipettes or large clinic packs of 36.
Product Manager Helen Walker said: "With only 55% of pet owners buying their flea and tick treatment from the vet, we recognise there is a huge opportunity to develop and grow this essential market. In the modern age the consumer expects maximum flexibility, and that is what we aim to provide with Flevox.
Whether it be persuading the price-conscious customer away from buying their flea treatments in supermarkets and the internet, or encouraging those who don't treat their pet at all to give it a try without breaking the bank, we're confident we can help grow flea treatment sales in practice."
Vetoquinol says it is supporting the new product with a range of materials dedicated to veterinary surgeries, providing incentives to encourage client bonding and repeat business with your practice.
Helen continued: "We have also teamed up with the fantastic charity Dogs for the Disabled by making a donation for every pipette of Flevox sold. We're really looking forward to raising the profile of this organisation where these amazing dogs give life changing independence to disabled people. We're confident the donation will strike a chord with clients and really engage them with the charity, the Flevox brand and the practice".
To find out more, contact your Vetoquinol territory manager or visit http://www.vetoquinol.co.uk/
Here's a gadget I'd love to get my hands on: the Zoombak advanced GPS pet locator, launched in the UK today.
The locator attaches to any dog collar, or indeed your car, husband, wife or teenager, and allows you to get a real time fix of their location by telephone, or on your computer. It costs £99.99 from pet retailers, with an additional £9.99 per month service subscription (£99.99 if paid annually upfront), which allows for an unlimited number of ‘locates'.
Hot on its heels comes the Pawtrack, which will also cost £99.99 with a similar monthly subscription which allows for 1200 locates per month. Pawtrack is being aimed at both cats and dogs, and whilst it is marginally smaller and lighter than the Zoombak, there isn't a lot in it. Both are still probably too cumbersome for a cat, which is why Zoombak more pragmatically recommends its product for dogs over 7 kg.
Doubtless it won't be long before they miniaturise the technology so that it'll be the width of a nostril hair, thereby solving the problem of pet theft and loss completely. Meantime, these look like a practical and fun gadget for the owners of larger breeds that regularly go AWOL.
For more information on stocking Zoombak please contact Zoombak on 08708 033095.
New research published online by the Veterinary Record suggests that puppies separated from their litters early are significantly more likely to develop potentially problematic behaviours as adults than puppies who stay with the litter for at least two months.
This is important, say the Italian authors, because behavioural problems affect relationships with owners and the risk of subsequent abandonment.
The authors based their findings on 140 adult dogs, half of whom had been taken from the litter and adopted between the ages of 30 and 40 days, and half of whom had been taken from the litter at 60 days.
The dogs' owners, who were clients of several veterinary practices in Naples, Italy, were all asked to complete a telephone questionnaire about their pets, including their provenance, breed, and a range of potentially problematic behaviours.
These included destructiveness, excessive barking, possessiveness around food and/or toys, attention seeking, aggressiveness, play biting, fearfulness on walks, and reactivity to noises.
The dogs were aged 18 months to seven years at the time of the study. Half had come from a pet shop, while one in three came from a friend or relative, and the remainder were sourced from a breeder. None of the dogs had been in a shelter or been obviously traumatised.
Attention seeking and reactivity to noises were the most commonly reported behaviours. And younger dogs (under 36 months) were significantly more likely to be destructive and to tail chase than older animals.
But with the exception of pica eating, aggression towards the owner, paw licking and shadow staring, all behaviours were significantly more likely among dogs who had been separated from their litters before 60 days, irrespective of their breed, neuter status and size.
Similarly, some behaviours were more common among pet shop dogs who had been taken early from their litters than among pet shop dogs taken from their litters at 60 days.
The authors write: "It is generally accepted that dogs go through a sensitive period, the socialisation period, during which social experiences and stimuli have a greater effect on the development of their temperament and behaviour than if they occur in later life."
They say that the evidence increasingly points to a mix of early genetic, environmental and experiential factors that may permanently reconfigure the DNA, so leaving lasting effects. "Early separation from the dam and littermates, especially when combined with housing in a pet shop might affect the capacity of a puppy to adapt to new environmental conditions and social relationships later in life. "Behavioural intervention can address the development of problem behaviours and improve the dog's relationship with the owners, ultimately reducing the number of dogs that are relinquished or abandoned."
Click here to read the paper in full.
Entry to Royal Canin's annual Pet Health Counsellor of the Year Awards 2011 closes on April 30 2011 - so PHC-qualified vet nurses have just eight weeks left to submit their entry.
The Awards celebrate the role of the Pet Health Counsellor, and recognise their contribution to adding value to their practice. Submissions can relate to any work carried out previously, and can either focus on a single campaign or a more general approach, presented in the form of two case studies and two client testimonials (which can be as simple as a thank you card). Supporting material, such as photos and posters are very welcome.
Royal Canin Veterinary Scientific Support Manager Catherine Howard said: "Pet Health Counsellors put in a huge amount of effort, and are very often responsible for promoting the practice to customers and the general public. Their work is a real demonstration of how creativity, enthusiasm and initiative help take a practice forwards."
Prizes on offer this year are £1500 in High Street vouchers for the Gold winner, £1000 for the Silver winner and £500 for the Bronze winner.
To enter, contact your Veterinary Business Manager for an application form.
Some say he pees Propofol, and that he once proposed to a Black Welsh Mountain Sheep called Blodwen. All we know is he's called The Stinge, and that he's challenged veterinary surgeons and nurses to beat his lap time in an electronic 'reasonably priced car' at the Alstoe Animal Health stand (G40) at the London Vet Show.
Alstoe says that for legal reasons (and because it doesn't have the money), The Stinge's better known cousin from BBC's Top Gear will not be making an appearance.
However the company is able to run to a bottle of champagne for the vet or nurse that sets the best lap time each day of the show.
Niall McFerran from Alstoe said: "Believe me, the Stinge is not a fast driver, so I think it will be very easy for the first contestant to beat him/her! The real question will be who is actually fastest each day. We are looking forward to having some fun".
The RCVS has announced the candidates standing in the RCVS Council and Veterinary Nurses Council elections this year and is inviting veterinary surgeons and nurses to put their questions to them directly for a video reply.
There are eleven candidates standing for election to RCVS Council in 2015. Overall there are six men and five women, which include two existing Council members eligible for re-election and nine new candidates. They are:
Three veterinary nurses are standing in this year's VN Council elections, including one existing VN Council member eligible for re-election. They are:
Ballot papers and candidates' details are due to be posted to all veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses eligible to vote during the week commencing 16th March, and all votes must be cast, either online or by post, by 5pm on Friday, 24 April 2015.
Once again the College is inviting members of both professions to 'Quiz the candidates' by putting their questions directly to all those standing for election. Each candidate will then be invited to choose two questions to answer from all those received, and produce a video or audio recording of their answers. All recordings will be published on the RCVS website on Thursday 19 March.
Vets and nurses should email their question (NB one per person) to vetvote15@rcvs.org.uk or VNvote15@rcvs.org.uk, or post it on twitter using the hashtags #vetvote15 or #VNvote15, respectively, by midday on Monday 9 March.
Gordon Hockey, RCVS Registrar said: "It's important that members of the veterinary professions choose who they want to sit on their governing Councils, so we always try to make the elections as interesting and engaging as possible.
"This year, we hope the provision of short videos, to accompany the usual written information, will encourage people to find out a little more about all those standing for election, and then use their vote."
Idexx says the new test is proven to identify kidney disease earlier than creatinine1–3, enabling veterinary surgeons to intervene earlier and have a greater impact on patients' health outcomes and quality of life.
The Catalyst SDMA Test was first launched at the company's reference laboratories in 2015, since when Idexx says it has run more than 14 million SDMA patient tests, creating the world's largest database on kidney disease in dogs and cats.
The test was then launched to veterinary practices in the USA and Canada last December, where Idexx says it has now been used by thousands of practices.
Jonathan Ayers, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Idexx Laboratories said: "We've seen great enthusiasm for the ability to run SDMA as part of the routine chemistry panel at the point of care, and the North American launch has exceeded our expectations.
"The Idexx SDMA Test represents one of the most significant diagnostic innovations in veterinary medicine in the last 30 years. We're thrilled to bring this essential element of the chemistry panel to our point of care Idexx VetLab suite, allowing veterinarians to utilize the benefits of SDMA immediately during the pet's appointment."
Idexx has also signed an agreement to collaborate with Yale University to explore the test's applications in human health. As a result of the partnership, the SDMA Test has been validated for accuracy in measuring SDMA in human blood samples and the results presented at the 2017 annual meeting of the American Society of Nephrology last November by Yale and IDEXX researchers.
Jonathan added: "SDMA has tremendous potential benefit in human applications as well. And with the Idexx test technology now validated to be able to run on commercial chemistry systems that routinely produce chemistry results in human reference laboratories, we have greater reason to explore the clinical value of this incredible biomarker in human applications. We are excited and grateful for our partnership with Yale University."
Idexx says SDMA is now the subject of more than 30 ongoing research collaborations and has been incorporated into the veterinary profession's International Renal Interest Society (IRIS) kidney disease staging guidelines.
For more information about the IDEXX Catalyst SDMA Test, visit www.idexx.eu/sdma.
The Animal Health Trust has begun a pilot study to investigate a possible link between seasonal canine illness (SCI) and harvest mites, continuing an initial study on the possible cause of SCI funded by the Kennel Club.
SCI is a mystery illness which in recent years has made a number of dogs walked in woodlands suddenly become ill.
Cases of SCI are usually seen from August to November, with dogs showing clinical signs of vomiting, diarrhoea and/or lethargy within 24 to 72 hours of walking in woodland. Dog owners are advised to seek immediate veterinary advice should they see these signs in their dog following a woodland walk.
So far this year, there have been 49 cases in total reported to the AHT, from across all of its current investigation sites. A number of cases reported to the charity have shown evidence of harvest mite infestation.
Charlotte Robin, SCI Research Co-ordinator at the AHT, said: "To enable us to eliminate harvest mites as a potential cause of SCI, we are advising dog owners to treat their dogs with a fipronil spray directly before walking in woodlands."
There are currently no licenced products that will specifically prevent against harvest mites, however fipronil spray is believed to be effective in preventing other mites. The researchers believe that it is important that dog owners use the spray and not the spot-on treatment, which may not provide the same level of localised protection on vulnerable areas.
Charlotte added: "Dog owners need to be aware that using fipronil spray may not protect their dog from SCI, but it could protect them from harvest mites and other external parasites. What we are trying to do with this study is eliminate the harvest mite and other external parasites from our enquiries.
In addition to advising all dog owners walking their dogs in woodlands during autumn to use fipronil spray as an external parasite treatment, the AHT is working with the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk to offer to offer dog owners who wish to participate in the study access to the spray free of charge, if deemed appropriate by their veterinary surgeon.
As this is a prescription only medicine, the charity is issuing vouchers to dog owners which they can redeem for fipronil spray through their local vet practice, on the proviso their dog is deemed a suitable candidate by their vet.
Dog owners who meet the criteria and wish to participate in the study will be required to complete a SCI online questionnaire following their visit to the Estate, and an additional follow-up questionnaire regarding the pilot study, regardless of whether their dog was taken ill or not.
You can register to take part in the pilot study at www.aht.org.uk/scipilotstudy
Image courtesy: Luc Viatour / www.Lucnix.be
Petplan has announced the finalists for the 2013 Petplan Veterinary Awards.
Now in its 14th year, the Petplan Veterinary Awards received its biggest response yet, with 11,000 nominations submitted for exceptional veterinary staff across the UK.
The finalists for each of the categories are:
Vet of the Year
Vet Nurse of the Year
Vet Support Staff of the Year
Vet Practice of the Year
Practice Manager of the Year
Isabella von Mesterhazy, Petplan's Head of Marketing, said: "As the leader in the pet insurance market for over 35 years, we have a rich history of working with veterinary practices across the UK. The Veterinary Awards is a great way to recognise and celebrate the fantastic work that goes on helping keep pets healthy and their owners happy. This year we have seen a near fourfold increase in nominations which goes to show the appetite from both staff and clients for celebrating exceptional work, it is going to be a fantastic night."
Gyles Brandreth will compère the award ceremony on the 4th April at Birmingham Town Hall.
95% of the vets surveyed by the company reported success treating cats with Thyronorm Oral Solution for Cats, while 89% expected the liquid solution to improve compliance in the management of hyperthyroidism.
93% also said they found Thyronorm gave them an easier way to offer cats a low dose, or an 'in-between' dose, as it can be titrated 'to effect' – meaning the dose of treatment can be varied more easily to suit the individual animal.
Feline hyperthyroid specialist Dr Sarah Caney said she is unsurprised by the survey results: "Treatment is complex for cats needing a low dose, or an ‘in between’ dose, as standard anti-thyroid tablets are only available in a small number of dose sizes and are not designed to be split, halved or quartered. Also, if a cat is on alternating doses, it can be difficult for carers to remember which dose is due today."
Rachel Crowe, Norbrook’s Companion Animal Senior Product Manager, said: "We are delighted that overall 99% of the 200 veterinary surgeons surveyed would recommend Thyronorm in the management of hyperthyroidism, compared to other medical options."
Thyronorm contains 5mg/ml of thiamazole (methimazole). The initial starting dose is 5mg active ingredient per day, split into two doses.
Available in 30ml and 100ml bottles, with an in-use shelf life of six months, Thyronorm is available to order from all UK veterinary wholesalers.
Advances in mobile phone technology, combined with the simplification of video-editing software and the adoption of video in social media, have led to an explosion in the use of the medium over the past 12 years. YouTube, which had its first video posted in April 2005, now counts over a billion users.
To help veterinary professionals gain the skills needed to make the most of this increasingly important medium, 'Video-making for social media' will teach you how to use your mobile phone to create engaging video, in particular looking at script-writing, voice-overs, editing and mixing soundtracks.
The 'Video-making for social media' course takes place in Preston, Lancashire on 17th May.
For the 'The Consulting Nurse' course, Brian Faulkner from The Colourful Consultancy and Clare Hemmings from Royal Canin will share top tips from vet consultation courses, tailored for nurses. Content, design and marketing of nurse consultations will also be considered. Clare, who worked in practice as an RVN, will take attendees through options for nurse-led clinics including weight management, animal behaviour and managing diabetes. Brian will explore common issues in nurse consultation and the communication strategies to deal with each.
'The Consulting Nurse' takes place in Newbury, Berkshire on 24th May.
To be in with a chance of receiving one of three free places on each course, send an email with the name of the course in the subject line, followed by your details and why you would like to attend to: royalcaninvet.gbr@royalcanin.com. Entries will close 10 working days before the event.
Alternatively, places on the courses can be booked by calling 01453 872731 or by visiting www.spvs-vpma-events.co.uk. Workshops cost £275 plus VAT for non-members and £195 plus VAT for VPMA and SPVS members (discounts offered on group/ bulk bookings). Cost includes CPD certificates, lunch and refreshments.
The RCVS Trust has announced 34 grants totalling approximately £165,000, being made to veterinary surgeons, universities and higher education (HE) establishments, to fund high-quality research projects in the UK and overseas, and support veterinary education.
Harper Adams University College and Myerscough College will be the first veterinary nursing colleges to receive funding under the Spencer-Hill equipment grants programme; this was the first time that RCVS-approved HE veterinary nurse training providers were able to apply for this funding. Harper Adams will receive £2,350 to purchase a Humphrey ADE-circle system, and Myerscough, £1,395 for an 'Emily' canine positioning mannequin.
Severine Tasker MRCVS, from the University of Bristol, and Janet Patterson-Kane MRCVS, from the University of Glasgow each received Blue Sky Awards of £17,000. Severine will conduct research into constructing defined feline coronavirus strains for determination of the role of virus genetics in the development of feline infectious peritonitis. Janet Patterson-Kane's research will investigate whether a new therapy for treating wounds in humans can be translated for use in horses.
Janet said: "Limb wounds in horses are very common and are notorious for developing masses of exuberant scar tissue - proud flesh - and not healing properly. This can necessitate multiple operations. The findings of current research at University College London by our collaborator, Professor David Becker, suggest that in human patients a protein, connexin 43, is not downregulated at the edges of wounds that are difficult to heal. Use of therapy to reduce connexin 43 expression in human skin wounds in which healing has stalled has been remarkably successful in achieving wound closure. The aim of our research is to determine if connexin 43 plays a similar key role as a 'master switch' for wound healing in horses. I am extremely grateful to the RCVS Trust for their support."
Six veterinary undergraduates will also receive EMS vacation research scholarships of £700 each, which can be used to fund expenses relating to a research project undertaken in the UK or overseas as part of a UK veterinary school's extra-mural studies requirement.
Full details of the RCVS Trust grant awards may be found at www.rcvstrust.org.uk/awards
To mark its 20th anniversary, Woodley Equipment Company is holding a prize draw to win one of three bottles of Chateau Pitray 1989 Bordeaux red wine.
Woodley Equipment Company Ltd was established in 1989 by Mike Wickham, a biomedical scientist who specialises in haematology and blood transfusion.
Visit www.woodley20years.com to enter the draw. The winner will be drawn on Friday 30th October 2009.
Dr Mary Fraser MRCVS, Lecturer in Environmental Biology & Veterinary Nursing at Edinburgh Napier University, is asking RVNs to take part in a pilot study investigating the stresses and strains of working in practice.
Mary said: "I am interested in how we prepare students for the realities of practice, in particular dealing with stressful situations. As part of this I have set up an online questionnaire where I hope currently qualified veterinary nurses will give me their opinions about their own training and how they feel it prepared them, or if things need changed, then how we could do this."
The survey is open to RVNs who have worked in practice for a minimum of 6 months, although they don’t need to be currently working in practice.
To take part, visit: https://survey.napier.ac.uk/n/zzzlg.aspx.
And if you want to further support the work Mary is doing, do circulate the survey amongst the other nurses at your practice!
Eilona's is one of 50 new jobs created by the company in the last 12 months alone, across a range of positions including veterinary surgeons, nurses and client care co-ordinators.
Eilona said: "White Cross Vets has an unrivalled reputation for offering exceptional pet care, as well as being recognised as a great place to work, which really appealed to me. To become the group’s 200th employee is fantastic and I’m really looking forward to the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead."
Tim Harrison, Managing Director of White Cross Vets, said: "Welcoming 50 new team members into the White Cross family in the last 12 months is a major coup and we’re delighted to have created a 200 strong team with Eilona’s appointment. We are already planning to expand our team further over the coming months, with three new practices due to open before the end of this year, which makes it a very exciting time for us."
Mrs Angie Scullion (pictured right) from Okehampton joined the Healthy Pet Club in May 2017 at Okeford Veterinary Centre with her Border Collie, Cassie. She was awarded a year’s free membership by the practice to celebrate the milestone.
Launched in 2010 with 11,000 members, the Healthy Pet Club helps pet owners budget for their pets’ healthcare by spreading payments over a year. They also make savings on vaccinations, flea and worm treatments and receive access to a wide range of other benefits.
Mr Mukesh Rughani, Healthy Pet Club Manager at CVS, said: "Pet owners want value so we constantly research the market to check that the discounts and benefits we offer through the Healthy Pet Club are the ones that we know they will find most meaningful.
"We are delighted that the Healthy Pet Club has reached the 300,000-member mark and we have a number of exciting developments planned for later this year which we believe will make it an even more useful tool for our member practices while setting a new standard in value for our clients."
New research, conducted by the WALTHAM-initiated Laminitis Consortium, has raised questions over the assumption that soaking hay will make it safe to feed to laminitis-prone horses and ponies1.
The Laminitis Consortium comprises world-leading equine veterinary, nutrition and research experts interested in collaborating on the important topic of laminitis. It includes the authors of this work: Dr Pat Harris of the WALTHAM® Equine Studies Group, Clare Barfoot of Mars Horsecare UK Ltd and Dr Annette Longland of Equine Livestock and Nutrition Services (ELNS).
Over-consumption of water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC) has been associated with the onset of laminitis. It has been recommended that hay with a non-structural carbohydrate (WSC and starch) content of less than 10% should be fed to obese animals as well as those at risk of laminitis2 and that hay should be soaked in water before being fed in order to reduce the WSC3,4,5. The study, which was completed earlier this year, examined the loss of water-soluble carbohydrates from nine different hays submerged in water for up to 16 hours. It was presented to the biannual Equine Science Symposium in America in May 2009.
Previous studies have shown that the prolonged soaking of chopped hay in large volumes of water can result in the leaching of nutrients, including soluble carbohydrates. However, because common practice in the UK tends to involve long-stemmed hay, soaked in relatively small volumes of water over varying timescales, the Laminitis Consortium's study aimed to replicate such a practice6.
The nine different hay samples were analysed for WSC and then soaked in cold water. The soaked samples were subsequently analysed at four intervals of 20 minutes, 40 minutes, three hours and 16 hours.
Clare Barfoot said: "The results showed a highly variable leaching of WSC and substantially less leaching than reported previously for chopped hay soaked for 30 minutes.3
"Very few samples reached below 10% WSC, despite prolonged soaking. The concern is that this strongly suggests that soaking may not be sufficient to render some hays safe to feed to horses and ponies prone to laminitis.
"Our current advice is that ideally you should analyse your hay before feeding it to an animal at high risk of laminitis and choose hay with the lowest WSC content you can find. Soaking hay provides an additional safeguard but should not be relied upon."
The study also highlights that if hay is soaked for extended periods, it may not meet the nutritional requirements of the animal because substantial amounts of other nutrients, protein, vitamins and minerals will also be lost 5. In such cases it is even more important that the horse or pony should receive a balanced supplementary feed.
The Laminitis Consortium is continuing its work in this area and hopes to be able to identify practices that will be of greater benefit to the horse owner faced with hay of unknown WSC content.
1Longland AC Barfoot C & Harris PA (2009) The loss of water- soluble carbohydrate and soluble protein from nine different hays soaked in water for up to 16 hours. J. Equine Vet Science 29 (5 ) p 383 - 384, 2 Frank N Equine Metabolic Syndrome J Equine Vet Sci 29 (5) p 259 - 267, 3Cottrell, E., Watts, K., Duarte, S. and Ralston, S. (2005). Equine Science Symposium, 2005, 4Kenny, D. (2007). Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Science. 5Warr EM, Petch JL. Equine Vet Educ 1993;5:169-171, 6Longland, A.C. (2009) In preparation.
Petplan has announced that nominations for its 2015 Veterinary Awards will open on 1st September 2014.
The awards, which are designed to recognise members of the veterinary profession who have gone 'above and beyond' in their daily roles, will be presented on 9th April 2015.
Petplan's Acting Head of Marketing, Ingrid Wakefield said: "At Petplan, we hear from our customers every day about the exceptional care veterinary staff have given to their pets. The Veterinary Awards provide an opportunity for Petplan to show their support for members of the veterinary profession who go beyond the call of duty in their role, and for pet owners across the UK to say thank you to the veterinary staff who have helped them and their pets."
Last year Petplan received more than 12,000 nominations, with every nominee receiving a certificate of recognition for their hard work.
Nominations can be made at www.petplan.co.uk/vetawards, from the start of September.
Bayer Animal Health has announced the results of a survey1 which shows that despite 80% of dog owners being aware of lungworm (Angiostrongylus vasorum), 85% of dogs remain unprotected against the parasite.
The survey, which was carried out amongst 1,000 dog owners, also found that more than 5% had encountered lungworm in their own dogs. However, only 15% of owners treat their pet against parasites on a monthly basis, with the remainder admitting to missed routine lungworm worming treatments or not treating at all.
Bayer highlights evidence from the Royal Veterinary College2, which confirms the lungworm parasite has spread across the UK from its traditional habitat in the south of England and Wales, and is now widespread in Central England, also reaching northern regions and Scotland, with one in five vet practices nationwide reporting at least one case of the parasite. In another survey of 150 veterinary practices across the UK a total of 952 suspected cases were reported (157 laboratory confirmed), with 81 deaths thought to have been caused by the parasite3.
To encourage more pet owners to take action, Bayer will launch a consumer campaign called 'Act on Lungworm' in March. The campaign will include the world's first 24-hour radio station for dogs and their owners, 'Hound Waves', broadcasting live from Crufts on Friday 7th March. The event will also see the launch of a new television and advertising campaign from Bayer.
For veterinary professionals, the campaign launch will also include online videos detailing the 'ACT on Lungworm' veterinary support and showing the new television advertisement exclusively to vets before the national launch.
Caroline Braidwood, Group Product Manager at Bayer Animal Health said: "After launching the 2013 lungworm awareness campaign and providing owners with a social media platform, we quickly began to recognise the enthusiasm that exists to encourage action.
"We received feedback from owners who had tragically lost their pets to lungworm, and whilst we were pleased that we were helping to raise awareness, we became conscious that we needed to do more to prevent dogs from dying unnecessarily. Our 2014 campaign focus has come as a direct result of talking to these owners and providing individuals like Sandra Stevens with a platform to discuss their experiences in the hope that more owners will take action before it is too late."
'ACT on Lungworm' is part of Bayer Animal Health's wider 'It's a Jungle Out There' parasite protection initiative. Further information is available at www.facebook.com/jungleforpets
The survey was carried out by the Institute for Employment Studies (IES), which sent it to 5,572 veterinary surgeons who graduated from a vet school in the EU (excluding the UK) and who are registered as veterinary surgeons in this country, as well as around 100 non-UK EU-trained veterinary nurses.
The survey asked a range of questions about how these individuals felt that the vote to leave the EU had affected them, how they felt about their future working in the UK veterinary sector and how they felt the College had dealt with the issue of Brexit.
3,078 people (including 19 veterinary nurses) responded to the survey – a response rate of 55.3%. The average age of the respondents was 36. 60% were female and 87% were working full-time.
The largest group of respondents (22%) qualified in Spain. 14% qualified in Italy, 10% in Poland, 9% in Romania, 7% in Portugal, 6% in Germany and 6% in the Republic of Ireland.
The remaining 26% qualified in 18 different countries, each of which accounted for fewer than 5% of EU registrants. Although these figures relate to country of qualification and not the nationality of the individuals, in 91% of cases these were the same.
The majority of respondents (78%) worked in clinical practice. Of the 603 who did not work in clinical practice, 38% worked for the Food Standards Agency, 21% worked for the Animal and Plant Health Agency and 18% worked in higher education.
The main findings of the survey were:
RCVS President Chris Tufnell said: "This survey makes the strongest possible case that the Government must act fast to reassure our EU colleagues in practices, universities and industry that they are welcome to stay in the UK.
"EU vets and vet nurses make a massive contribution to the UK veterinary sector and the health and welfare of animals and humans.
"Beyond this commitment we will also be lobbying the Government that, after we leave the EU, suitably qualified vets from overseas are prioritised for UK work visas or equivalent, particularly if they are working in public health and the meat industry.
"I have written to Michael Gove, the new Secretary of State for the Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, outlining our position and our Brexit Principles and have invited him to visit the RCVS at Belgravia House to discuss these further. I hope that he accepts our offer so that we can have some constructive talks on these matters.
"On a personal note, I am very sorry to see that a significant proportion of respondents had experienced prejudice at work. This is simply not acceptable and we, as a regulator, have been conscious that ‘anti-foreigner’ rhetoric in the country at large could have an effect on hard-working and talented members of our profession, which is why we raised the matter in our letter to the Prime Minister last year."
The findings of interviews with a sample of non-UK EU-graduated veterinary surgeons working in the UK will be published over the summer. Meanwhile, over the next two years, IES will also be carrying out two further pieces of research that will track the opinions and intentions of non-UK EU-graduated veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses over time as Brexit policies are formed and the future status of non-UK nationals made clearer.
To read the IES report and the College’s three Brexit Principles in full, visit www.rcvs.org.uk/brexit